Meter.



vPATENTED NOV. 19. 1907.

D. E. SCRAFFORD.

METER.

APPLIOATION FILED rma. s. 1905.

nu: Nouns rrrzns ca., wnsmnnran. n, c.

No. 871,738. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

D. E. SGRAFPORD.

METER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. s, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

DANIEL E. SCRAFFORD, 0F PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

METER", -v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed February 6\ 1905. Serial No. 244,393.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I DANIEL E. SCRAEFOED, citizen `of the United States,residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Meters; i and I d'ohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to meters such as are adapted for registering theconsumption of gas or an electric current, and its objects are toprovide gravity actuated means whereby registering wheels may be movedstep by step with entire certainty under all ordinary conditions, and toprevent accidental movements of the wheels iii transporting or handlingthe apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus,the inclosing case being omitted. Fig. 2 is a section on the line X-X,Fig. l.. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same devices. Fig. 4 is a plan orend view of a certain cam.. Fig. 5 is a side view o f the same cam. Fig.(i is a partial view similar to Fig. 2, showing additional features.Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing parts in a differentposition. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are detail views of parts seen also inFigs. 6 and 7.

In these figures, A represents a front plate, B a back plate, and C theusual posts interposed between the two plates and forming with them aframe to support the moving parts. Portions, D, D, of the back plate arebent forward. to serve as bearings for shafts E, and 7. Secured to theback plate B below the shaft E is a Ushaped member G supporting avertical shaft H. which carries a worm wheel J, the latter engaging aworm K bo'i'ne by a shaft L mounted in the plates A, B. Upon the rearend portion of the shaft L is fixed a gear M, shown in this instance asdriven by a power-actuated gear P, shaft N, and pinion the shaft N beingmounted in or upon an arm Q'projecting from the back plate. Below theworm wheel J and upon the saine shaft is a two-part cam R, R havingbetween its parts a spiral passage of approximately uniform width andwith its upper and lower ends joined by a vertical passage, the wholeforming' an endless path for a certain roller to be guided and carriedby the cam. The vertical passage or portion of the endless channel, isformed by abrupt offsets in each of the spiral faces of the parts of thecam, as shown, Alongside this cam is a lever S having an enlarged orweighted end W and pivoted between its ends to swing vertieally upon ashaft T mounted in the main frame. From one side of this lever a roller2 projects into and its in the channel formed by the two parts of thecam, so that as the cam rotates the corresponding arm of the lever isgradually depressed until the roller 2 reaches the vertical part of thechannel, when being free to rise it 1s suddenly raised by the droppingof the heavy opposite arm of the lever.

Upon the shaft E before mentioned, are mounted registering wheels Fwhich in ay be of any desired form such that each at the completion ofeach revolution actuates the next succeeding wheel, as is usual indevices of this general class.

The non-weighted arm of the lever S is connected by a link V with oneend of a bar U pivoted between its ends upon the shaft E and, ifdesired, having its opposite end enh rged or counterweighted, as shownin Fig'. 2. The registering wheel F adjacent to this bar U is providedwith ten evenly spaced lateral pins U near its peripliery, and in theoperation of the apparatus these are engaged in succession by a gravitypawl 4 pivoted on the bar U and having its movement about its pivot 5,in one direction, limited by a stop 6. Above the shaft E, upon the shaft7, are mounted pinions 8 of which but one is shown (Fig. 2). Thesepinions transmit movement through the entire train of registering wheelsin a well known manner, and in this instance the first one is actuatedby the pins U, above mentioned.

The entire movement of the apparatus thus far described willv now bereadily understood. The rotation of the cam R, R gradually forces downthe roller 2, rocking the lever upon its axis and raising its weightedend. When the roller reaches the vertical portion of the cam channel,the weighted end of the lever falls suddenly and the link V raises theend of the bar or arm U and its pawl 4 which is at this time inengagement with one of the pins upon the registering wheel F, wherebythe latter is rotated. The parts are so proportioned that the rotationthus produced is one tenth of a complete revolution, and by thismovement the number visible at the first window opening in the plate A(Fig. l) is changed. The continued rotation of the cam causes arepetition of the whole movement, the roller as it descends drawing downthe arm U and dragging the pawl 4 over the next succeeding pin on thewheel F and engaging its under side before the link is again thrustupward.

Although I may fix both parts of the cam R, R. to the shaft, I have inthis instance shown the upper part as loose upon the shaft,

so far as rotary movement is concerned, but.

i to the cam member, while the other end enreceives the roller,

gages a pin 11 passing through the shaftv and through slots 12 in thehub. The effect of the spring is substantially the same in both cases.When the roller 2 resses upward and seeks to enter the vertlcal part ofthe cam channel, it meets a momentary resist# ance because the channelis narrowed, but the instant the spring yields and the channel theresistance ceases, practically. This momentary resistance causes nomaterial loss of power, but it tends to prevent any displacement of theregistering wheels in handling or transporting the apparatus. Should theroller from any cause failto rise promptly in the vertical ortion of itspath, the rounded oset face o the unyielding portion of the cam servesto start it upward. Y

I have also shown, in Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, other means for resistingaccidental movements of the registering wheels and for causing the pinsU to stop at precisely `the right points, and to be held there duringthe interval between the upward thrusts of the link V. In these gures, crepresents a plate added in the rear of the main frame and provided witha rigid arm d, both plate and arm being slotted at e, f to -receive asliding latch g having at its inner end a rounded head i provided with alaterally projecting pin m and adapted to fit between two consecutivepins upon the wheel F. The latch is constantly pressed inward by a lightspringj acting upon a pink. Upon the free end of an arm U2 correspondingto the arm U already described, is pivoted a pawl or cam b having itsswinging in one direction limited by a stop n and provided with arounded face b to engage the pin m and push back the latch quickly whenthe link V rises (see Fig. 7 At the moment when the movement of the linkis completed, the pin passes off the `face b and j the springy' throwsthe latch again inward. When the pawl gradually rises with the descentof the link, the odset face b2 (Fig. 10) moves over the short pin muntil it reaches the position shown in Fig. 8 when the cam or pawl I)drops back to the position shown in dotted lines', ready for the nextupward movement of the link V.

1. A meter comprising registering wheels, devices for imparting motionto said wheels,

va cam revoluble upon a vertical axis and provided with a channel havinga spiral portion and a vertlcal portlon connectlng the highest andlowest parts of said spiral portion, a pivoted horizontal leveralongside the cam, having a lateral projection iitting in said channeland a weighted end to be raised by the cam, and means whereby thedownward movement of said weighted end actuates said devices.

2. A meter comprising registering wheels, devices for imparting motionto said wheels, a two-part cam mounted upon a vertical shaft and havingbetween its parts an endless channel made up of a spiral part and avvertical part connecting the highest and lowest portions of the spiralpart, a weighted horizontal lever pivoted alongside said cam, a rollermounted upon one side of the lever and projecting into said channel, andmeans whereby the descent of the weighted lever, when the roller reachesthe vertical portion of the cam channel, actuates said devices.

3. A meter comprising a series of registering wheels, a reciprocatingmember for imparting a step-by-step movement thereto, a lever connectedat one end to the said member, the lever being weighted at the oppositeend and fulcrumed between its ends, an up per and lower cam portion nearthe end of the lever which has connection with the recipro eatingmember, said cam portions being mounted on a vertical axis, the adjacentfaces of the cam portions having an irregular passage between them and avertical passage connecting therewith substantially as de-A scribed andshown and normally narrower than the said irregular passage, and amember on the lever within the irregular passage the cam adapted todepress the lever to raise the weighted end thereof and then permit thelatter to fall for the purposes described when the vertical passage ofthe cam arrivesat the lever-member.

4:. A meter comprising registering wheels, a reciprocating memberadapted to impart a step-by-step movement Vto said wheels, a leverweighted at one end and connected at the other tothe said reciprocatingmember and fulcrumed between its ends, a cam for depressing the lever atone end to raise the weighted end and then liberate it abruptly, saidcam comprising two portions, an upper and a lower, there being `asubstantially horizontal passage and a'substantially vertical ermeepassage for the cam for operating the lever, one of said passages beingnormally narrower than the other, a vertical axis Afor said cam andmeans tor imparting a continuous movement to the cam while thereciprocating member through the lever receives an intermittentmovement.

5. A meter comprising registering wheels adapted for a step-by-stepmovement, a reciprocating member for imparting such movement, a gravitylever in connection with such member, a double cam comprising an upperand a lower portion, a roller on the lever 'for entering between thesaid cam portions, the opening between the cams being irregular in formand having an abrupt'vertical opening substantially as shown anddescribed, the width of said vertical opening being normally narrowerthan the irregular opening, the upper portion of the cam being adaptedfor slight rotary movement on its axis for opening the vertical openingby the passage ot the roller therethrough, and also i adapted to closeafter the passage of said roller for the purposes described.

6. A meter comprising registering wheels adapted lor a step-by-stepmovement, a reciprocating member for imparting such movement, a gravitylever in connection with such member, a double cam comprising an upperand a lower portion, a roller on the lever iler entering between thesaid cam portions, the opening between the cam portions being irregularand substantially horizontal, there being also a vertical openingcommunieating with and opening into the irregular opening, substantiallyas described, a weight at one end el the lever, the i'ulcrum of thelever beii'ig between the weighted end and the end having engagementwith the cam, the vertical opening of the cam being normally narrowerthan the irregular opening for the purposes set forth, the upper portionof the cam adapted l'or a partial rotary movement on its axis, meansVfor yieldingly holding the vertical opening partially closed asdescribed but permitting the roller to open the same to pass through andagain close as described.

7. A meter comprising registering wheels adapted lor a step-b v-stepmovement, a reciprocating member for imparting such movement, a gravitylever in connection with such member, a double cam comprising an upperand a lower portion, a roller on the lever for entering between the saidcam portions, the opening between the cam portions being irregular andsubstantially horizontal, there being also a vertical openingcommunieating with and opening into the irregular opening substantiallyas described, a weight at one end ci the lever, the fulcrum of the leverbeing between the weighted end and the point of engagement with the cam, the upper cam portion adapted for partial turn about its axis, meansfor limiting such movement, a spring for normally holding the said camportion to partially close the vertical opemng, the weighted end of thelever adapted to fall when the vertical opening is opposite the rollerof the lever, the said roller in rising turning the upper cam portion onits axis against the spring, the vertical opening again being closed bythe spring after the passage of the roller therethrough.

8. A meter comprising a train, registering wheels adapted for astep-by-step movement, means Jfor imparting the step-by-step movementthereto, a member in engagement with one or' the wheels for holding theentire train from turning, and means carried by the stepby-stepoperating means for automatically moving the member from engagement vdththe wheels when the step-by-step movement is made, the member beingyieldingly held in engagement with the wheels and returning to suchengagement after its release.

9. A meter comprising a train, registering wheels adapted for astep-by-step movement, means for imparting such movement thereto, amember 4for normally holding the registering wheels 'from voluntarymovement, said member being yieldingly held in engagement with thewheels, and means on the step-bystep operating means tor automaticallyremoving the locking member from the wheels when said operating meansimparts the said step-by-step movement, said means vfor removing thewheel engaging member adapted to move said member when moving in onedirection but adaptedalso to pass it when moving in the oppositedirection.

10. A meter comprising registering wheels adapted for a step-by-stepmovement, a reciprocating member for imparting such movement `to thewheels, a latch for engaging and holding the wheels from turning exceptby said step-by-step means, a spring 'for yieldingly holding the latchin engagement, and a pivotal cam carried by the reciprocating memberVlor passing the latch when moving in one direction, said cam beinglimited in its movement when the member moves in the opposite directionto engage and remove the latch from the wheels, the spring againreturning the latch to its normal position after the cam has releasedit.

1n testimony whereof 1 atlix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL E. SCRAFFORD. lVitnesses:

L. M. TnURLow, E. J. ABEnsoL.

